Table talk: The restaurant scene's latest news

Tomorrow around noon marks the soft opening of the first Pubcakes store, at 7229 El Cajon Blvd. It’s the same cupcakes-made-with-beer formula. Except here you can buy individual Pubcakes, instead of ordering a 12-pack delivery of Stoned Portzillas (the cake is made with Stone Smoked Porter - the frosting with a coffee ganache and caramelized coconut).

Treehouse Coffee shares the space, and sells their micro-roasted, organic, fair trade, kindly made coffee. But back to the cupcakes...The regular joe Pubcakes run $3 to $3.50: The minis are half of that. The owners say Pubcake first timers always get the Irish Carbombs, because Guinness and chocolate together sounds logical, right? But be adventurous and try the Top Ten Cake, a little guy made with Karl Strauss Tower Ten IPA and ancho chile.

Olive oil love

La Jolla’s been geeking out over gourmet products a lot lately. (See the line outside Sprinkles.) Soon that little village will be going nuts for an “olive oil experience.”

We Olive (weolive.com) will open its olive oil tasting bar at 1158 Prospect St., La Jolla on Saturday, Jan. 29. The statewide chain highlights California-produced Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This location will have a patio, wine bar and gourmet eats made with an ingredient key to their whole concept...

The Gaslamp, now with more Cofftea

You can eat lamb sausage omelets family style at Café 21, or get amped with their special Cofftea – black tea brewed with house coffee, the most unusual teaming of standards since Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman did “The Bucket List.”

Now you can do this at two locations: There’s the Café 21 filled with University Heights locals at 2736 Adams Ave. (619) 640-2121; café-21.com. And the new Gaslamp location that opened this month – currently only doing breakfast and lunch – at 750 Fifth Ave. (619) 795-0721. Right before Valentine’s Day the Adams Ave. café will host a $10 aphrodisiac cooking class.

Beer, Bourbon and BBQ

West Coast Tavern’s expanding its culinary map and doing Southern food. Every Wednesday night in February you’re invited for Beer, Bourbon and BBQ, a series highlighting Cajun, Carolinan and Lone Star foods like crawfish étouffée and grilled Texas wild boar ribs. All pair well with half-priced drinks. 2895 University Ave., North Park. (619) 295-1688; westcoasttavern.com.

Cocktailing at Bencotto

Your portal to Northern Italy, Bencotto, is finally doing $12 cucumber basil martinis. The Little Italy restaurant has had its full liquor license for almost a month now. While cocktailing, perhaps you’ll point out to your companion that Bencotto’s handmade, prosciutto-stuffed tortellini is a pasta made to look like Venus’ belly button. Trivia is never trivial when you’re lit. 750 West Fir St. (619) 450-4786; lovebencotto.com.

Uprooting Terra

Terra, which means land, is uprooting from its Hillcrest location near Trader Joe’s. Chef and co-owner Jeff Rossman’s apparently tired of the parking sitch. “We’ll have our own damn lot!” yesterday's Terra press release quotes him as saying. (Read reported quotes from Rossman here.) Terra will get more parking when they open this April at 7091 El Cajon Blvd. in La Mesa.